Man charged with murder after police find body in home

Kings Mountain police park outside a house on Phenix Street as they investigate a death Saturday evening.

Brittany Randolph

By Jessica Pickens

Published: Sunday, January 5, 2014 at 06:04 PM.

Police found one man dead in his home, and charged another person living there with first-degree murder.

Kings Mountain Police officers went to 504 Phenix St. at 1:19 p.m. Saturday for a well-being check on a resident there. Officers made contact with 38-year-old Robert Henry Lovette who was inside the home, but he was not cooperative with police, according to a release from the Kings Mountain Police Department.

Police made what they described as an "emergency entry" into the home, where they found 68-year-old Donald Howard Lovette dead inside.

Police booked Robert Henry Lovette into the Cleveland County Jail without bond Saturday on a charge of first-degree murder.

Neighbor Ryan Myers said Sunday that he first called Kings Mountain Police late Friday night after hearing a disturbance at the home.

“I had just gotten off work at 10:30 p.m. on Friday night. I work second shift,” Myers said. “I could hear the commotion from my house."

Police would not comment about the cause of death, but Myers, who said he knows both Lovettes, described a physical altercation taking place Friday night.

Police found one man dead in his home, and charged another person living there with first-degree murder.

Kings Mountain Police officers went to 504 Phenix St. at 1:19 p.m. Saturday for a well-being check on a resident there. Officers made contact with 38-year-old Robert Henry Lovette who was inside the home, but he was not cooperative with police, according to a release from the Kings Mountain Police Department.

Police made what they described as an "emergency entry" into the home, where they found 68-year-old Donald Howard Lovette dead inside.

Police booked Robert Henry Lovette into the Cleveland County Jail without bond Saturday on a charge of first-degree murder.

Neighbor Ryan Myers said Sunday that he first called Kings Mountain Police late Friday night after hearing a disturbance at the home.

“I had just gotten off work at 10:30 p.m. on Friday night. I work second shift,” Myers said. “I could hear the commotion from my house."

Police would not comment about the cause of death, but Myers, who said he knows both Lovettes, described a physical altercation taking place Friday night.

"I could hear him hitting him, so I called the police," he said Sunday.

Myers said the two Lovettes are members of the same family, but he did not know their exact relation.

Myers lives about 500 feet from the Lovettes' home, which is just off U.S. 74.

Myers said he saw police drive through the area Friday night.

Drops of what appeared to be dried blood remained on the front steps of the Phenix Street home Sunday. Beer cans and fast food containers littered the lawn. Warning signs of “Private Property” and “Beware of Dog” hung off the porch.

Robert Henry Lovette is scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday.

Reach Jessica Pickens at 704-669-3332 or jpickens@shelbystar.com. Follow on Twitter at @StarJPickens.